After a campaign marked by violence, Ecuadorians go to the polls to elect the country’s president

2023-10-15 04:00:08

Daniel Noboa and Luisa González compete in the second round of the presidential elections in Ecuador Rodrigo Buendia/AFP // Marcos Pin/AFP Candidates Luisa González and Daniel Noboa compete in the second round of the presidential elections in Ecuador, this Sunday (15), in a context of violence linked to drug trafficking. On the last day of the campaign, on Thursday (12), the two candidates led caravans and rallies in several cities surrounded by a robust security system and wearing bulletproof vests over yellow t-shirts, the color of the Ecuadorian football team’s shirt. . See also International Ecuador declares state of exception and holds elections after death of presidential candidate Brasília Itamaraty laments murder of Ecuadorian presidential candidate: ‘Deplorable’ International Ecuador: faction threatens corrupt politicians who use money from crime in campaigns Although opinion polls are prohibited at the moment, several companies predict a tie between Noboa and González, with great growth for the millionaire after the first round on August 20, when he obtained 23% of the votes compared to González’s 34%. Daniel Noboa, 35 years old, is a businessman linked to the banana sector, who could become the youngest president in the history of Ecuador. Luisa González, 45 years old, is the candidate supported by former president Rafael Correa (2007-2017). Correísta could be the country’s first president elected at the polls. Although opinion polls are currently prohibited, several companies predict a tie between Noboa and González, with great growth for the millionaire after the first round on August 20, when he obtained 23% of the votes compared to González’s 34%. Read also Murder of politicians is new in Ecuador’s recent history The early departure of the conservative Guillermo Lasso from the Presidency added to the relentless violence that hit the country and killed the centrist Fernando Villavicencio, a few days before the first round, on August 20. The new president will take office in December, to complete Lasso’s unfinished term, and will govern until May 2025. The law allows him to run for office in the next elections (2025-2029) and also run for re-election (2029-2033) . Ecuador faces a war for power between drug trafficking organizations, with a homicide rate that quadrupled between 2018 and 2022, to a record 26 per 100,000 inhabitants. For this year, experts estimate that this rate will be 40. Violence is also expressed in prisons, where prisoners from rival organizations confront each other in different locations, especially in Guayaquil. Since 2021, clashes have left around 460 people dead in massacres. Iron Dome: How Israel’s Anti-Missile System Works